Water-level regulator.



PATENTED NOV. 3 1903. R. L. SHORT.

WATER LEVEL REGULATOR.

AyrmoA-wion FILED 0(J1.7 1902.

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'NITED STATES Patented November 3, 1903.

. PATENT OFFI E.

ROBERT L. SHORT, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO N. GUY OOPLEY, OF FOSTORIA, OHIO.

WATER-LEVEL REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,108, dated November 3, 1903.

Application filed October 7, 1902. Serial No. 126,338. (NomodeL) T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT L. SHORT,a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in W'ater- Level Regulators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide means for maintaining constant the waterlevel of a steam'-boil er. Various arrangements of floats, &c., have been employed for this purpose and are moderately successful with lowpressure boilers; but in high-pressure boilers there has been trouble on account of the violent ebullition of the steam and the consequent fluctuation of the water-level.

My invention, while being extremely simple in construction and durable in operation, has been found by actual test to maintain the water-level substantially constant even in boilers of the highest pressure.

The invention consists, broadly, of a tube connected with the water and steam in the boiler and located at the water-line and an inclosing casing surrounding the tube and containing a fluid medium communicating with a pressure-regulating apparatus for the boilersupply. The operation, briefly, is: When the water-level drops, steam enters the tube, expanding the medium to operate the regulating device to cause a greater water-supply. When the Water rises,water entering the tube cools and decreases the pressure of the medium operating through the pressure-regulator to decrease the water-supply.

A convenient form of my invention is illustrated in the drawings and will be hereinafter fully described. The invention comprises this embodiment as well as the broad operation above set out.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation of my regulator. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the casing of the regulator substantially on the water-line.

It is to be understood that the proportions of the boiler, pressure-regulator, pump, and piping in Fig. 1 are distorted for convenience of illustration.

and the steam portion.

Referring to the parts by letters, A represents asteam-boiler,shown as having a steamdome a, the water-line being as indicated.

B and B represent pipes leading, respectively, from the water portion of the boiler They are shown as being placed in alinement and separated by a separating-nipple B which is a convenient arrangement. Connecting the pipe B and the pipe 13' is a pipe 0. This pipe is preferably small in diameter. It has a horizontal portion bent into a U shape 0, located on a level with the water-line in the boiler. At the lowest point of this pipe 0 it may be provided with a petcock c for the purpose of cleaning.

Surrounding the U-shaped tube 0 is the casing D, the only opening to which is through the pipe E. This pipe communicates with the lower portion of the chamber within the casing and leads to a diaphragm-regulator F. This regulator may be of any approved form. As shown, it consists of a pair of easingsfand f,between which there is a flexible diaphragm f connected by a rod and yoke f with the valve-stem f of a valve f The yoke f extends downwardly on both sides of the valvecasing and is connected at its lower portion to the valve. This valve controls the supply of water to the boiler. It may be either on the steam side or the water side of the pump. In the installation shown it is on the waterpipe G, leading from the pump H to the boiler, the pump receiving steam through the pipe J.

In operation the casing D contains water in its lower portion and air in its upper portion, and water is contained in the pipe E, leading to the diaphragm f The valve f is arranged so that as the stem is drawn down the valve opens, suitable means being provided, as a springf, to give the valve a tendency to close. The increase in the pressure within the casing D will thus farther open the pipe G, whereas decrease of such pressure will decrease the opening. The parts are designed to be so arranged that when the waterlevel is on a line with the U-shaped pipe 0 the valve maintains the pipe G just the right opening to feed the boiler the required amount. Now if the water-level in the boiler comes down steam instead of water enters the pipe 0. This steam being necessarily of higher temperature than the boiling-point starts the water in the casing D to boiling and also expands the air in the casing, increasing the pressure therein and forcing downward the water in the casing into the pipe E, where it acts on the diaphragm f to farther open the pipe G. This causes more water to be fed to the boiler, raising the water-level. When the water-level becomes high enough so that the U-shaped tube a is filled with water, the ebullition of steam in the casing D ceases. At the decrease of temperature water flows back into the casing from the pipe E, relieving the pressure from the diaphragm f and allowing the springf to close the valve to some extent, thus decreasing the amount of water fed to the boiler.

In practice there is no material variation in the Water-line. The Water in the casing D is always a little above the boiling-point, being held in equilibrium by the steam and air in the casing, which has a pressure of a few pounds. The slightest change in the water-level changes the temperature in the U- shaped tube 0, which instantly changes the pressure in the casing D, which through the diaphragm-regulator varies the supply. v

The drawings show a gage e on the pipe E for showing the pressure in the casing D, which is of convenience, though not essential.

In starting the apparatusa plngd in the side of the casing D is taken out to open the easing, and water is run into the top of the pipe E until it runs out of the opening in the casing which the plug d usually occupies. This plug is then replaced and the pipeE filled and the entrance thereto closed by the plug e. The plug d is so placed that such amount of water will be run into the casing D that when the device is in operation the water-line in the casing D will be substantially the same as the water-line in the boiler. The plug 61 is thus in the vicinity of the same plane as the tube 0, and it is so shown in the drawings.

I claim- 1. In a water-level regulator, the combination of a tube located at the water-level and communicating with the water and steam of the boiler, a closed casing surrounding the said tube, a regulating mechanism for the boiler, and a pipe leading from the closed casing to the regulating mechanism, said casing having an opening and a plug for closing said opening, substantially as described.

2. Thecombinationofasteam-boiler,means for supplying water thereto, a pressure-regulator for governing such supply, a tube located at the water-level of the boiler and communicating with the water and steam therein, a casing surrounding said tube, a pipe leading from said casing to said press it re-regulator, a plugged opening in said pipe for supplying Water to the casing, and a plugged vent in said casing located substantially at the water-level to govern the height in the casing at which the water primarily stands, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT L. SHORT. Witnesses:

ALBERT H. BATES, E. L. THURsToN. 

